


The Visits to the Hospital Room

by AccioInvisibilityCloak



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: 11x10 The Doom in the Boom, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hospitalization, Non-Graphic Descriptions of Aubrey's Injuries, Prompt Fill, Pudding Cups, missing moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 06:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7032103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AccioInvisibilityCloak/pseuds/AccioInvisibilityCloak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Aubrey is injured in the explosion at the crime scene, a very worried Jessica visits him in the hospital. Twice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Visits to the Hospital Room

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cones_McMurphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cones_McMurphy/gifts).



> Written from a prompt off a tumblr prompts post, "Hey, I was going to eat that!" Prompted by Ann_Knightley, who loves this adorable ship.

        When her co-workers tease her about the way that she looks at Agent Aubrey, Jessica tells them- tells herself- that it’s just a harmless little crush.

They’ve been on one date and one not-a-date, grabbing dinner and drinks at the Founding Fathers after their workday is done and a murderer or two is apprehended. Aubrey is cute, and very sweet. He’s an expert on all things sci-fi and fantasy, a total nerd. He’s passionate about everything from food to TV shows to his strong sense of justice. Jessica can see that in the way he talks about his cases, the way he clings to doing what’s right, like he’s trying to atone for his father’s sins, to be as different from Aubrey Senior as possible. Jessica already knows Aubrey is a much better man than his father, and she can see how touched he is when she tells him so. Just looking at him makes her smile. She has to hide it so he won’t think she’s laughing at him. That’s the last thing she’d ever do.

But it’s just a crush, just some innocent fun with a sweet, attractive man at the end of a long day. It’s nothing, really.

 

It’s nothing at all- until she and Doctor Brennan are standing in the lab, elbows-deep in rotting flesh and bone, and her boss’s phone rings in her pocket, and when she answers, Jessica sees her face fall from mild curiosity to total horror.

 

 _Hodgins_. _Aubrey_. _Explosion_. Oh, God. Oh, God, no, and Brennan is running down the hall, shucking off her gloves as she races to be with Angela, to break the news and take her best friend to the hospital to meet her injured husband. Jessica sinks to the floor of the forensic platform, numb, just like she was when she lost her family, and she knows that she’s shaking but it’s like she’s outside herself, like she’s not really here, because Aubrey _has to be okay_. He has to be.

 

                                                                                                                                   ***

 

            She’s pacing back and forth in the hallway outside his hospital room, steeling herself to go in. Jessica doesn’t know how she manages to force herself to open the door.

All the air rushes out of her lungs in an exclamation of relief and fear when she sees Aubrey lying still and pale in the bed. Without realizing it, she’s running to him, running to the edge of the bed… and she stops, teetering on her tiptoes, forcing herself not to hug him and risk hurting him any more than he is already.

He almost died. He saved Dr. Hodgins’ life, and he almost _died_ today. And looking at him lying there, Jessica knows that this- whatever this is that’s been growing between them- it isn’t nothing. This has the potential to become a serious _something_ for her. Because the idea of losing him… no. No, she won’t dwell on that, because Aubrey’s right here, and his chest is rising and falling with the pulse of life, and he’s okay. Thank God he’s okay.

 

               Jessica sits with him for about an hour, that time. He doesn’t wake up, so it’s just her in this empty room, holding his hand, checking her phone for any news updates about the bomb that did this. She wants more than anything to be able to help catch the person who did this to Aubrey and Hodgins and those poor crime scene techs who didn’t make it. She’s needed at the lab, much more than here. So Jessica stands. Just then, Aubrey’s eyelids flutter. “Jess… Jessica…” he groans. “What…?”

He’s awake! He sees her, and Jessica’s turning back to his bedside when a nurse comes bustling in to check Aubrey out, now that he’s conscious. Jessica is shooed to the door to give the professionals room to work on him.

“I’ll come back,” she calls as she leaves. “I’ll be back soon!”

 

                                                                                                                           ***

 

The hospital is her first stop after she clocks out at the lab. She wants to bring Aubrey a muffin or a cookie or something, he’ll like that, but she realizes she has no idea if he’s even cleared to eat. Plus, stopping would take extra time, and Aubrey shouldn’t have to be alone right now.

Jessica learns that Hodgins has been discharged, back on his feet already. She can only hope Aubrey will make as swift a recovery.

 

And in fact, when she gets there, Aubrey is sitting up in bed, eating a vanilla pudding cup. There’s also a chocolate one waiting on the little table next to the bed. Aubrey’s gained back some color in his cheeks, but there are bruises and small cuts on his face and arms, and a large bandage is wrapped around his head. Jessica shudders, putting on a brave face for him. How is it she’s fine with dead bodies, but seeing a living person she cares about in pain- that, she can’t handle at all?

 

“Jessica!” Aubrey beams, holding up the pudding cup. “How’s the investigation going? Any leads?”

The actual answer is no, not yet. But Jessica doesn’t say that. “We’re going to catch this guy, I promise. Brennan and Booth are doing everything they can.”

Aubrey sighs. “I know. I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt in the meantime. How are you holding up, piecing together the crime scene techs?”

“It’s my job,” Jessica sighs. “I have to be impartial. And I can’t believe you’re asking how I’m doing, while you’re lying in a hospital bed!”

“I’m fine. Just worried about all my friends, you know? If this guy’s targeting law enforcement-”

“I know, but there’s nothing either of us can do right now. Look, I brought some Star Trek for you to watch, take your mind off things. Here.” She pulls the DVDs out of her purse and lays them on the table.

“Aha! Live long and prosper! Very fitting,” Aubrey jokes, and Jessica feels the tears welling up again, her heart suddenly overflowing with fondness for this dork of an FBI agent sitting in front of her. He’s still so optimistic and driven, even with bandages and bruises covering his body, and she can’t stand to see him like this.

This little crush, she knows now, is anything but little. It’s a Something with a capital S.

 

“Hey, no, Jessica, it’s okay. I’m fine,” he reassures her. “I’m really fine.”

“I know, I know,” Jessica nods, taking a shaky breath. “I’m just- God, James, I’m just so glad you’re all right.”

Aubrey’s smiling at her as he reaches out to stroke her hand, and she just can’t do this. She stands up, and her eyes find the extra pudding cup. Comfort food. She needs sleep and bad TV and comfort food. And Aubrey has to rest.

“I have to go,” Jessica says with a shaky smile. “Get better, okay?”

She leans in and kisses him on the cheek. Aubrey, stunned into silence, still half-loopy from his pain meds, brings his hand up to touch the spot on his cheek where she kissed him. He grins confusedly after her as she hurries off, taking his pudding cup with her.

 

“Bye, Jessica! It was nice to see you!” he calls as the door to his room swings shut. Aubrey goes to grab his second pudding cup, realizes that she took it. “Hey! Jessica, my pudding cup!”

She doesn’t come back. Aubrey slumps down in the bed, pouting. “…I was gonna eat that! Jessica? Jessica!”

He thinks of her wide eyes and long red hair, her soft lips on his cheek. She’s so lovely. And she likes Star Trek, too. That’s nice… She’s nice… She’s really something.

She’s the last thing on his mind as he drifts into a fitful sleep. He doesn’t wake up again until a few hours later, when he gets another visitor- Caroline Julian.

 

                                                                                                                                 ***


End file.
